Spiritual Warfare: Basic Training

By John Labriola

Spiritual Warfare is intended to be a basic training manual for beginner Christians. The man or woman of God needs to be equipped with the knowledge and understanding of the fight Christians are in and the weapons and tools available in order to wage effective spiritual warfare in our everyday lives for the advancement of the kingdom of God in t

• Language: English
• Publisher: URLink Print & Media, LLC
• Release date: Oct 8, 2019
• ISBN: 9781643678320

John Labriola

John Labriola is an ordained minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ and has over twenty years of experience in spiritual warfare.

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Spiritual Warfare

Copyright © 2019 by John Labriola. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.

The Bible verses listed in this book are from the New American Standard Bible unless noted otherwise: New American Standard Bible (NASB), copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Bible definitions are taken from Vine’s Concise Dictionary of the Bible by W. E. Vine, copyright 1997, 1999 by Thomas Nelson and used by permission of Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

Any italics appearing in Bible quotations represent this author’s added emphasis.

Word definitions are taken from the American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828.

Quotations from Edwin Louis Cole are used by permission.

The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of URLink Publishing.

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Published in the United States of America

ISBN 978-1-64367-833-7 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64367-832-0 (Digital)

09.09.19

CONTENTS

Acknowledgment

Spiritual Warfare, Basic Training Introduction

Spiritual Warfare I Laying the Groundwork

I. The Scriptural Perspective of Warfare

II. General Aspects of Spiritual Warfare

III. Tools of Deliverance

IV. Prayers of Faith

In Conclusion

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I want to thank my wife Gloria for her love, patience and input that helped make this book possible. She is a true life partner. I would also like to thank Pastor Robert and Jackie Vlerick for their love and dedication that they poured into us and especially Pastor Robert’s insight God gave him in his teachings on spiritual warfare. I would like to thank my mother Corrine for her input and insight in helping me with the book. Thank you, Renee Vlerick for sharing your parents with us all these years. I want to thank George and Marie Ciaramello and Ernie and Lynn Laningham for their prayers, love and support and pouring themselves into our lives that helped make this book possible. First and foremost, I want to thank and praise my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you, Lord Jesus for your love, grace and tender mercies that sustains us and causes us to grow every day. A blessed journey with you through life that gets brighter everyday!

SPIRITUAL WARFARE, BASIC TRAINING INTRODUCTION

When we become born-again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we pass from death to life and are delivered from the domain of darkness, and transferred to the kingdom of His beloved Son. (Colossians 1:13). We immediately change our relationship with God from adversary to a son or daughter of the Most High God. When that happens, we become an adversary to the god of this world, Satan, and become part of the conflict between Light and darkness.

To wage war effectively, the man or woman of God needs to be equipped with the knowledge and understanding of the fight we are in and the weapons and tools available to us. Satan was totally defeated and stripped of his power and authority at the cross, and we are to enforce that victory here on earth as it is in heaven.

We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in us, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12–13).

Spiritual warfare occurs when born-again believers learn, understand, and know their authority in Jesus Christ and then act based on that knowledge to engage spiritual enemies.

This book is intended to be a soldier’s manual for beginners in the faith about equipping the Saints to advance the kingdom of God in these last days. It is also set up as a study book with the Scriptures and references so you can look up and study the Scriptures for yourself. The Scriptures and references are listed so you can verify the teachings and, through study of the verses, gain a greater understanding of the Word of God and spiritual warfare. I also encourage you to read the Scriptures in their context in order to fully understand the meaning of each Scripture reference and how it applies.

This book is based on the spiritual warfare teaching of Pastor Robert Vlerick of Victory Walk in Jesus Church, Newbury Park, California. Pastor Robert taught about spiritual warfare from the 1970s until his retirement in 2009. His teachings have helped many come to understand the reality of the warfare Christians are engaged in every day. He is a gifted teacher with an anointed insight and understanding in the spiritual realm of the battle.

In studying the Scriptures and information set forth in this book, our hope is that you will be able to stand in battle against the wiles of the devil as God equips and empowers you to advance His kingdom to set the captives free and bring others into His glorious presence, delivering people from the power of darkness and translating them into the kingdom of His dear Son. (Colossians 1: 13, KJV)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:10–12)

Always remember, Saints, that as we take up arms in this battle, it is God who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him [Jesus] in every place. (2 Corinthians 2:14).

We are ambassadors of the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world, and it is God’s will for you to be well equipped and ready for the battle.

He trains my hands for battle, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

—2 Samuel 22:35

SPIRITUAL WARFARE I

LAYING THE GROUNDWORK

I. THE SCRIPTURAL PERSPECTIVE OF WARFARE

As we begin this book on spiritual warfare, it is important to read some foundational Scriptures that will help us understand the war we are in. God’s intent for His church, the body of Christ, is to be His war club and battle-ax in these last days for salvation and deliverance and to set the captives free. Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16–17, All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man (or woman) of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

THE FIGHT

In 2 Corinthians 10:3–5, the apostle Paul talks about our warfare:

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

Ephesians 6:10–18 tells us who we are fighting and how to dress for battle:

Finally, my Brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth [the Word of God] and having put on the breastplate of righteousness [putting on faith and love as a breastplate; see 1 Thess. 5:8], and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace [Blessed are the feet of them that bring good news (Isaiah 52:7)]; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the Helmet of Salvation [the hope of salvation; see 1 Thess. 5:8] and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God [sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12)].

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the Saints.

We will start with these Scriptures and add to them as we continue to build our foundation, which will help us take hold of what God has for us to do and how to do it.

THE ARMOR OF GOD

As Paul says in the verses above, Put on the full armor of God, and Therefore, take up the full armor of God that you may be able to resist in the evil day. It’s important to put on the armor every day and to be clothed and ready for battle. I know it sounds tedious to put on the armor every day, but it’s one of the most important things we need to do to be ready. It is really a lot simpler than it sounds; in the morning I just say, Father, in the name of Jesus I put on my helmet of salvation, which is my hope of salvation; my breastplate of faith, righteousness, and love, which is Your life, Jesus, which shines from within me outward; my shield of faith in my left hand; the sword of the Spirit of righteousness in my right hand and on my tongue (speaking the Word); my loins girded about with your Word of truth; and my feet shod in the gospel of peace.

It only takes a minute, and then you’re ready. This will build up in your spirit as you do it each day. Let’s look at